The World's Best Bartenders' Guide

Of all the bar books I own, this is the one that I return to again and again - and the only one I actually sit down to enjoy reading. It is informative, well written, and interesting. If I have any criticism at all it is that it might have had a more attractive cover.

Ever had a sidecar? Me either, until I got this book. I've got a couple of other bartender's guides. With the unappealing page after page of sterile mixology between their covers, they gave me absolutely no incentive to try anything new. This book is different - it provides history and anectodes on drinks in a conversational tone and offers recipe variants on some from bartenders on its 'best bartenders' list. Because bartending is a personable act, and not just chemistry, its nice to see the bartenders notes accompanying many of the recipes (muddle this... substitutions of Triple Sec vs. Cointreau... shaken and not stirred etc). All in all, a pleasurable read and great guide - get it and try the Higgin's Sidecar.... mmmmmm.

Great anecdotes, solid drink recipes, even a qaint bit of history here and there, this book of much warmer and friendlier than those 600-page paperback 'list every known drink' tomes. Deserves a place in any barkeep's bookshelf, or in the home of anyone who enjoys spirits.

An excellent book.This book is a great read, and has a great format. For the drink recipes, it introduces the cocktail, describes its history, nuances about its construction, or interesting stories related to how it is made, then it provides a variety of different recipes and variations on how to make it.It is refreshing to see such a creative, and informational book on mixology. I've grown bored of the cocktail books that simply list recipes, without any background or even details about how to add that special "Quality" to the drink that makes them stand out.-Robert

Anything with the pluck to call itself "the best" has to stir up your suspicions, right? Well . . . "The World's Best Bartenders' Guide" is exactly that - the best. The premise is simple. If you want to know how to mix the best drinks, ask the world's best bartenders. That is exactly the objective authors Joseph Scott and Donald Bain set for themselves and the result is nothing short of . . . well the world's best bartenders' guide. Along with identifying what their exhaustive research has determined to be the world's 50 greatest bars and their keepers, Scott and Bain share their secrets of what and how. I mean this book doesn't just tell you how to mix the classic martini. It tells you that the secret to making a martini a la the bartender at Morton's in Manhattan is to pour out the brine from the olive jar and replace it with vermouth. Variations on the Manhattan? The book offers more than a half-dozen, and a tip from the bar manager at Jardines Jazz Club in Kansas City - pour in the vermouth first, then it's easy to adjust the whiskey to taste. Want to know how to stock your home bar? It's there, compliments of the experts. Want to know the secret to mixing any cocktail? "Make and serve every drink with love," says the most popular barman in the Dominican Republic. Want to know all there is to know about cognac? See Salvatore Calabrese in the Library Bar at the Lanesborough Hotel in London. Want to try a centuries-old cognac? Salvatore will oblige - if your pocketbook can take it. From Cuba to China, Mexico to Paris, all points in the U.S., all weigh in here. I knew I was tired of the same old fare when my wife and I went out, or even entertained at home. What to do, however, was the problem. Until now. "The World's Greatest Bartenders' Guide." Kudos Messers Scott and Bain.